Kmart is quietly testing its new KDollar concept -- think of it as a cross between a clearance center and a dollar store -- in Bloomfield Township.

Located in a former Kmart store on Telegraph just north of Square Lake, KDollar is full of clearance merchandise -- some of it current, some of it out-of-season.

The other day that meant: a woman's ski-style winter jacket for $26.99, down from an original price of $89.99, and a toddler-size summer polo-style shirt for boys for $2.50.

KDollar also features traditional dollar store items -- a mini flashlight for $1, for example -- as well as some groceries.

Details about the store -- how much of the merchandise is clearance and how much is full-line merchandise, whether any items are made specifically for KDollar, how long Kmart will test the concept -- aren't clear as store officials didn't want to talk about KDollar.

"Because this is a new concept store and because this is a test market, we're not at a point where we're ready to speak in any detail about it," said the spokeswoman, who is not allowed to be quoted by name.

She said the concept is being tested in a few markets, but wouldn't say where.

"It's just another way to provide more value to our shoppers," she said.

How good are the values?

The other day, a Dr. Barbie doll was $11.24 -- the same doll was $24.99 on www.amazon.com. A Darth Vader alarm clock by LEGO rang up at $29.99 -- more than the price on some of the www.amazon.com offerings. The Headbanz game was $11.99 -- it was $14.99 on www.amazon.com.

Christmas merchandise was 70% off -- not much of a deal considering Target marked most of its holiday ornaments and gift bags down to 90% off before getting rid of it.

The location of the KDollar store is interesting because Telegraph Road north of Square Lake in Bloomfield Township is home to some of the best discount shopping around metro Detroit.

There's a fabulous HomeGoods store, which seems to have a wider selection of merchandise -- especially when it comes to artwork and small pieces of furniture -- than any other HomeGoods I've ever visited. And there's a T.J. Maxx that is affectionately called T.J. Saks because it gets more high-end merchandise than other T.J. Maxx stores.

There's a great Costco -- Saturday mornings at the store can be a who's who of Oakland County.

Across the street, there's a sparkling Target store, which has a parking garage beneath it and a cart escalator to help navigate both floors.

How will KDollar fit in?

It was clean and tidy, but I crossed paths with only a few shoppers while there.

Other stores in the area were much more popular -- perhaps that's because they publicize their existence.